Netball South Africa announced on Monday the Spar Proteas squad that will travel to New Zealand and Australia to take on the two top-ranked sides in the world in September and October, in Pretoria, South Africa, on Monday, 11 August, 2025.
With the likes of Boitumelo Mahloko out injured, and Syntiche Kabuya unavailable for selection, three new players have been selected to join the squad for the first time. They are a trio of defenders who all impressed for their respective teams in this season’s Telkom Netball League: Entle Futshane, Nozipho Ntshangase, and Juanita van Tonder.
Veteran defender Karla Pretorius also remains unavailable for selection this season, but the team will welcome back another experienced campaigner in Shadine van der Merwe, who has been playing in England’s Netball Super League.
Mid-court dynamo Khanyisa Chawane will continue to captain the side, which also includes the always-entertaining Kamogelo Maseko, the TNL Player of the Tournament Tarle Mathe, and top scorer in the Netball Super League this season, Rolene Streutker.
CAROUSEL
Head Coach of the Proteas, Jenny van Dyk, explained that trials held in Johannesburg over the weekend were just the final step in the selection process.
“This step was needed to give players a fair opportunity to compete for a position in the team, but also because the majority of our core group players play in the UK and other national leagues,” Van Dyk said, “So we needed to see all the identified players in combination with the top players before making the final decision.”
“If you are going to take on the best in the world, you need players with experience, grit and a fierce, fighting spirit, and we believe within our core group that is exactly what we have.”
Spar Proteas Head Coach, Jenny van Dyk
The national coach added that the team is still a work in progress as the Spar Proteas look ahead to next year’s Commonwealth Games.
“For this tour we are well aware of the fact that we don’t have the exact depth we’ve envisioned in one or two key positions yet, but we have very versatile players within our core group that can get the job done for this tour, and we have a plan in place to create the depth we need afterwards,” she said.
Assistant coach Zanele Mdodana added that this tour is crucial in the build-up to both the Commonwealth Games and the next Netball World Cup.
“We are going to go full force into these Test matches with the objective of really sharpening ourselves, also gauging where we are compared to the professional teams in the world, and we know that the players are fully aware as to what our objectives are, and how we’re going to go about achieving them,” said Mdodana.
“There’s Commonwealth Games next year, there’s the World Cup in 2027, and everything that we’re doing is aligning to ultimately assist us in achieving our objectives.”
Spar Proteas Assistant Coach, Zanele Mdodana
The Proteas will first take on New Zealand in a three-Test series on 21, 24 and 28 September in Auckland, Napier and Invercargill, before heading to Australia to face the 12-time world champions in a three-Test series on 4, 8 and 12 October in Bendigo, Wollongong, and Adelaide.
While South Africa went down to the Aussie Diamonds in a series at the start of 2023, their last match played against New Zealand’s Silver Ferns was their memorable 48-all draw at the Netball World Cup on home soil in Cape Town, also in 2023.
“We always, and we will always, go for the win even though we know that we’re taking on the best in the world,” said Van Dyk. “If the standard is where it’s supposed to be, then anything is possible.”
Spar Proteas Team 2025
Khanyisa Chawane (C)
Nicholé Breedt
Entle Futshane
Kamogelo Maseko
Tarle Mathe
Owethu Ngubane
Refiloe Nketsa
Nozipho Ntshangase
Nicola Smith
Rolene Streutker
Elmeré van der Berg
Shadine van der Merwe
Juanita van Tonder
Jamie van Wyk
Sanmarie Visser
Original Copy: Netball SA, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Netball South Africa Spar Proteas squad, (front row, from left) Tarle Mathe, Nichole Breedt, Kamogelo Maseko, Shadine van der Merwe, Khanyisa Chawane and Refiloe Nketsa; and (back row, from left) Jamie van Wyk, Nozipho Ntshangase, Nicola Smith, Owethu Ngubane, Rolene Streutker, Entle Futshane, Elmeré van der Berg and Juanita van Tonder (Missing in photo is Sanmarie Visser, currently in Australia); that will travel to New Zealand and Australia to take on the two top-ranked sides in the world in September and October, was wannounced in Pretoria, South Africa, on Monday, 11 August, 2025. All Photos: Netball SA
Photo 2 Caption: Pictured at the announcement of the 2025 Squad are (from left) CEO of Netball SA, Modiegi Komani, Spar Proteas Asst. Coach Zanele Mdodana, Spar Proteas Head Coach Jenny van Dyk, and Acting Netball SA President, Mami Diale.
